MA.

SUSANA ISLA-ARCAN

BITE!
THE EVOLUTION OF DRACULA: THE LITERARY & CINEMATIC VAMPIRES

"Well, you asked if the sun hurt me, and it doesn't. But I can’t go out in the sunlight - at least not
where anyone can see..." Edward Cullen, Twilight

The Silver Screen Vampire from Paperback

Vampire books and films have been a fixture in mortal lives since the age of silent movies and
have strongly influenced our own interpretations of the vampire in popular culture. To date, the
most popular vampire in the movies is Count Dracula, which apart from being based in the novel
Dracula by Bram Stoker, was also loosely based on the story of Count Vlad Drakul.

A great number of movies have been filmed for decades depicting the evil count, whether based
on written works or not, some are even considered as the greatest depiction of vampires on films.
There are over 200 representations of the vampire, making him the most frequently portrayed
character in horror films. (Miller, F. 2009 The celluloid vampire. Retrieved from
http://www.vampirefilmfestival.com/Vampire_Film_History)

Over the years, the character of a vampire, even Dracula for that matter, has evolved, adapting to
changes in the times as well as in the demands of the audience. While vampire books and
movies before where targeting mature and adult audiences, they have now arrived at an age when
such works are accepted, in fact, craved for by a younger audience. Why? Because it stirs the
imagination of readers and viewers as to the veracity of the facts about vampires and the wonder
of its mystery as immortal (and how is it so?).

Studies have been conducted and even a careful study of Stoker's novel disproved a lot of myths
which were formerly believed by so many.

Fangs, Capes And All

Are Vampires Real?

This is the perennial question everyone poses for every vampire novel written and every vampire
movie made. And if it is indeed true, what are they like? How are they made? How do they look?
How do we kill them? Are they really immortals? Are they shape-shifters? Why do they say that
vampires make the most exciting love-making there is with a virgin?

Those were, indeed, the motivating factors (questions) audiences love to subscribe to vampire
movies and films.
Studies have proven, however, that our common knowledge about vampires is untrue, or maybe
partially untrue. An example of which is that people think that vampires are really photosensitive
and are afraid of the sun because they will perish under direct hit. Here's what studies say:

Porphyria appears to be the prior missing tie in the myth of

vampire blistering and burning in the sunlight. The bodies of
those with Porphyria lack the function of being able to
effectively repair their skin cells from UV ray damage.
(Retrieved from: 8 Vampire Myths Explained. http://listverse.com/2010/09/30/8-vampire-
myths-explained)

As in any story handed from generation to generation, facts are changed, even twisted, to suit the
atmosphere that the storyteller wishes to achieve. Some may consider the story preposterous that
in order for the storyteller to catch the attention of the audience, he has to create a new drama for
vampires. REINVENT him, titillate the imagination of the audience so that they will stop and
listen, and even be attentive to every detail the storyteller wishes to convey. Eventually his story
becomes gossip and of course, becomes other people's story, due to the impact of memory recall
the story has inculcated. Hence, the goal is achieved.

Oftentimes, we see that vampires are afraid of the sunlight, they burn and explode. Also, they
really suck blood out of their victims to survive, some even tell us that they should be from
babies or virgins, uncorrupted blood, they say. Further, they can change into a bat and lurk over
their target victims before attack. To cap it all, a wooden stake right through the heart kills them
instantly. True?

Let us see if these things we read, hear and know about vampires are facts or fiction as we walk
through Dracula's and other cinematic vampires' evolution through these years.

The Vampire Red Carpet

"You think of me as a...living stone - hard and cold. That's true. We are set the way we are, and it
is very rare for us to experience a real change. When that happens, as when Bella entered my
life, it is a permanent change. There's no going back..." Edward Cullen, Eclipse

Although the earliest cinematic vampire was in 1913's The Vampire based on Rudyard Kipling's
poem of the same title composed in 1897, the genuine supernatural vampire portrayal was in
1922's Nosferatu which was an unlicensed version of Stoker's novel. It was based so closely on
the novel that Bram Stoker's estate sued, won and ordered every copy destroyed. Its central
character was Count Orlok played by MAX SCHRECK. With his tall stature and gaunt
physique, Schreck amplified his already unsettling appearance with long nails, makeup and fake
ears to become one of the screen's terrifying monsters. (Retrieved from:
http://www.vampirefilmfestival.com/Vampire_Film_History)
During the 70s, Count Dracula, a surprisingly faithful and psychedelic 1977 adaptation of Bram
Stoker's novel, actor Louis Jourdan highlights the immortal Transylvanian's mesmerizing
qualities. Jourdan's Dracula is a grinning, silver-tongued demon who drips with sex appeal. He is
confident to the very end and secure in his superiority over mere mortals, you not only believe
him, but you want to believe him. (BatBanks. January 18, 2013 Actors who portrayed vampires
in 1920s-present. Retrieved from www.imdb.com)

The punk era (1980s) did not escape the "vampire

attack" with the emergence of younger actors
portraying the fanged villain. This time, vampires
appear re-dressed for success in luring their victims,
looking convenient in their common clothes, clothes
which are similar to those worn by mortals. In the Lost
Boys, KIEFER SUTHERLAND played the part so
well watching it makes one wary of similar looking
kids in the neighborhood. A definitive eighties vampire
flick, The Lost Boys made the fictional city of Santa
Carla, murder capital of the world a place one would
not want to be left behind in. The story goes as two
teenage boys discovered a gang of young vampires
seemingly run Sutherland who plays this vampire with unbridled relish as a teenage reject giving
the middle finger to the world. His seduction of the elder brother, Michael, is one of the most
memorable scenes in the entire canon of vampire cinema, as he uses mind games and vampire
powers to trick Michael into becoming one of his brood. David, as played by Kiefer in this film,
is so terrifying and memorable because Kiefer humanizes his character as a partier and a rebel
who delights in his own bad behavior in real life. In other words, David is such a great vampire
because Kiefer imbued him with large aspects of himself. (The Unapologetic Geek February 8,
2011. Top 10 On-screen Vampires Retrieved from
http://www.emagill.com/rants/eblog153a.html)

The 90s saw a lot of vampire flicks, this time showing the "reluctant vampires" or the immense
drive of these vampires to show that they were just victims and that they should be pitied and
helped. The vampires in this decade showed they had no choice but to succumb to the disease
that is vampirism.

"Everyone knows the phenomenon of trying to hold your breath underwater - how at first it's
alright and you can handle it, and then as it gets closer and closer to the time when you must
breathe, how urgent the need becomes, the lust and the hunger to breathe. And then the panic
sets in when you begin to think that you won't be able to breathe - and finally, when you take in
air and the anxiety subsides . . . that's what it's like to be a vampire and need blood..." Francis
Ford Coppola, Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Film & The Legend
 For his 1992 adaptation, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Francis Ford
Coppola cast a relatively obscure actor named GARY
OLDMAN to play the title character. It would prove to be
Oldman's breakout performance and the jumpstart of a wildly
successful film career that continues to this day. Oldman did
the virtually impossible by borrowing from both the original
novel and the various iconic performances of the past while
simultaneously crafting a version of Dracula that had never
been seen before. Oldman slips into Dracula's various
incarnations with ease, from the ridiculously old nobleman that
keeps Jonathan Harker in his castle to the young, seductive
foreigner who captures the eye of Mina Harker. He is able to
do this because his Dracula is a fully fleshed-out, three
dimensional character with deep strains of humanity that have
all been twisted into something terrible. In modern
interpretations of Dracula, more actors borrow from Oldman's
performance than any other, and that's a high compliment
considering the wide range of past performances to choose from. . (The Unapologetic Geek
February 8, 2011. Top 10 On-screen Vampires Retrieved from
http://www.emagill.com/rants/eblog153a.html)

Another memorable 80s vampire is good ol' Jerry

Maguire, TOM CRUISE. While the major portion of
Tom Cruise's acting portfolio is made up of snarky
but charming pretty boys, he does occasionally get
the chance to prove his worth as an actor. Granted,
before Interview with the Vampire, few people took
him seriously. It was so seemingly outrageous at the
time to think he could bring nuance and skill to a
performance that Anne Rice herself came out and
denounced the adaptation of her own novel before the
film even entered principal photography, all because
Cruise was cast as the story's charismatic antagonist,
Lestat. Indeed, Tom Cruise is one of the last people
you imagine if you read Rice's loving descriptions of
him before seeing the film. Cruise, however, nailed the role and did such an amazing job that
Anne Rice put a personal apology in front of the film for its first home video and DVD releases,
not to mention the full page ad she bought in the New York Times the day the movie hit theaters.
Cruise deserves to be on this list, not just for making a believer out of Anne Rice but also for the
way he delivers some of the best and most quotable gothic dialogue of any vampire flick. . (The
Unapologetic Geek February 8, 2011. Top 10 On-screen Vampires Retrieved from
http://www.emagill.com/rants/eblog153a.html)
The new century saw the transformation of vampires, well, in terms of appearance, into looks
specifically for mortals. The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer saw Edward Cullen played by
ROBERT PATTINSON appears as a suave sparkling college student in Forks falling in love
with a mortal. He looked ordinarily extraordinary, wearing the usual clothes worn by any mortal
students - jeans, shirts and leather boots and the like. Any unsuspecting human would think him
just one of the campus heartthrob, except that he sparkles like diamonds under the sun.
(BatBanks. January 18, 2013 Actors who portrayed vampires in 1920s-present. Retrieved from
www.imdb.com)

Likewise, in the hit HBO TV Series, True Blood based

on Charlaine Harris' book series, Bill Compton and Eric
Northam, wear just about anything the average human
from Louisiana wears. The characters, played by
STEPHEN MOYER and ALEXANDER SKARSGARD
respectively, are seen as normal human beings where
everything from the underworld thrive. Except in scenes
showing their origin, they most of the time appear
ordinary. Gone are the days when vampires look quite
different from humans, making them easy to spot, what with their sometimes queer and
mysterious behavior. Maybe filmmakers now realized there is more to being a vampire than just
the clothes and makeup. Well, makeup may be constant since the undead is easily shown by
being pale-skinned. (Miller, F. 2009 The celluloid vampire. Retrieved from
http://www.vampirefilmfestival.com)

There are other vampire character portrayals deep in the literary archives and in the annals of
cinema that have made their own significant appearances or at least made their characterization
different from the last appearance.

There is only one bugging question all throughout vampire depictions - Are they real? In every
book written and movie made for their sake, a different story unfolds. Some may be fact, some
may be myth. Yet for me nothing has shaped “horror” more than Dracula and the vampire
creatures. Despite its un-dead roots, vampire culture has never been more alive and thriving and
will continue to be part of the reading and watching experience for years to come.